The Fourth Estate: Public enemy number one?

Presidential administrations and the media have had an adversarial relationship from the beginning. Our first president, who now is almost universally revered, had his own struggles with America’s “Fourth Estate.” During his first term, this quintessential American icon suffered repeated attacks by the press. By the end of his second term, these attacks evolved into personal assaults on his character with some aiming to discredit Washington’s integrity, including his military renown.

Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of our hallowed Constitution, is quoted saying, “[o]ur liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” However, after serving as our 3rd president, his love for the press vanished as his presidency endured constant criticisms.

No president was spared from the press and its cynical inquiries nor should any have been, not even our beloved founding fathers. Benjamin Franklin, a long-time member of the press corps, once wrote, “[i]f all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.”

The primary function of the free press is to question those we have elected to govern us and the intentions of every policy, not to nurture their egos. Furthermore it is their duty to be entirely skeptical of government leadership, never giving to the treasonous crime of complacency by giving the benefit of the doubt to anyone. Unlike our justice system, which shrouds every accused person under the veil of innocence, the press must investigate with the presumption of guilt until proven otherwise. The world we live in is a cynical, unforgiving one and though we have great capacity for kindness, it is more than matched by our malicious, deceitful nature.

Deceit is one of man’s most powerful weapons, forged and perfected over millions of years to ensure the human race’s survival in a hostile world. In other words, it is a hard habit to break and if left unchecked and unchallenged, we only need look to our past to see what to expect.

Enter the great weapon that is the free press. A weapon designed to protect us from ourselves and our own duplicitous nature. The founders of this nation, knowing the dangers of placing governing powers in the hands of others, ingeniously framed our constitution with a shared balance of power equally distributed by three federal branches, then further checked by an outside force composed of the governed free citizens, our Fourth Estate.

Love it or hate it, a free press is an absolute necessity to our way of life as Americans, “[t]he liberty of the press is essential to the security of the state,” said John Adams. Franklin called it, “a principal pillar of free government,” and went on to say, “when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved.”

This isn’t to say that the press is infallible and just as prone to mistakes and even deceit. It is after all, a human creation and subject to our ever-present moral shortcomings. However, when used in conjunction with the other three branches, each pulling against the other, a balance is found and our free society endures. When one branch becomes overbearing and overreaches while at the same time another branch is weakened, a real failure can occur which is why ensuring the strength of each individual estate is critical. A strong and independent free press is vital to our national security and crucial to every citizen.

When President Trump tweeted that all negative polls are fake news, this is clearly an attempt to weaken the powers of a free press through discreditation. He continued by naming most of the major media outlets as being not his enemy but the enemy of the American people. This is dangerous territory and a statement that is absolutely false. The enemy of the American people is that which threatens to destroy our freedoms, such as freedom to criticize and question our elected authority.

Whatever your political allegiances, we all share a devotion which supersedes the political: our loyalty to this nation and the divinely inspired ideals it was founded on centuries ago. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson announces the equality of mankind as self-evident and divinely endowed. But these God-given freedoms must be actively defended by every generation and often against the very leaders who we’ve elected to govern. Jefferson outlined this responsibility which states, “[t]hat whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,” a powerful statement then and now.

In this powerful statement, it is clear that we must ensure that freedom lives on, by all means necessary. Like those who came before us did for us, we must secure it for those who come after. Jefferson charges every generation with this sacred obligation so that a government of the people, by the people and for the people will never perish from this earth.

No one among us is above criticism and no one has earned our unfailing devotion or approval, we all are finite beings burdened with our imperfections of character. As such, we must question the intentions and decisions of those we have empowered regardless of how well-intentioned they may appear. George Washington summed it up well when he said, ““If men are to be precluded from offering their sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences that can invite the consideration of mankind, reason is of no use to us; the freedom of speech may be taken away, and dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the slaughter.”

President Trump may want to rethink his position on the Fourth Estate and perhaps study its importance to our fragile democracy. Until then, I urge him to meditate on the words of one of his more revered predecessors who said, “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.” Wise words that remain as relevant and true today as they were over a century before.

About the Author

Jaeson "Doc" Parsons
Born in Chicago & raised in the shadow of the Chicago Board of Trade, Jaeson spent nearly 15 years in the world of global finance. After the 9/11 triggered an overwhelming sense of duty & he left the markets and joined the Army. Enlisting as a combat medic, Jaeson earned the honor of ‘Doc’ on the streets of Ramadi. Doc was honorably discharged and while attending WVU, he started the Graffiti of War Project - www.GraffitiofWar.com, a project documenting the unique artwork created by service members & civilians in conflict zones. The ultimate purpose being to use the book to raise awareness for veterans & service members afflicted with PTSD & TBI, and promoting arts therapy as an alternative solution. Doc's work and odd musings have been published in Maxim and Business Insider as well as featured via outlets such as Fox News, Wired Magazine, Stars & Stripes, Time.com and others.

Comments

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Wesley S

It's good to see the "fourth estate" back after being absent the past 8 years.

Susan B

I agree with you Gina that we should all be looking at all sources of the news with a critical eye in order to make our own well-resourced assessments. I don't understand why you are frightened by what he is doing.
He is not an autocrat, nor dictator, nor king. He is bound by the same rules and laws of our nation that you and I are bound. He also has the first amendment freedom to complain, chastise, call for change, or rant. But...he is still kept in check by two other powerful branches of government, as well as public opinion.
He cannot make laws. He cannot use our military to force his will on people. He cannot command your likes and dislikes nor have you jailed for disagreeing with him. And...I thank God for that and for the structure of our government.
So...speak out if he tries to put us on a path with which you don't personally agree, or vote against what he proposes and write to your congressman or woman to share your opinion, but by no means be afraid. The person sitting in the Oval Office changes every 4 years. If you don't like this one...go out and strongly support someone that shares your views and has a chance of winning that Office next time...without fear.

STripepi

"Let's see what Trump did wrong today" is the thought going in to watching the nightly news broadcasts. This seems to be their response to being called 'Fake News'. If Trump belches or farts without excusing himself; we will hear about it. I guess this is their version of reporting the facts and not fake news. Nothing constructive or actually informative but facts nonetheless. Historically nothing new I suppose.
Waaaaay back in school we were taught that mass media was an essential (and vital) element in keeping things generally 'honest'. These watch dogs for the people are meant to have freedom. But that freedom turned into power. And before any absolute power corrupts absolutely, certain things need to be put back in place. How about some consequences for their actions? Let us hold them responsible too.

Gina T

I find what he's doing frightening. It makes me wonder what he will do next. Will he start arresting journalists that put out stories he doesn't like? Start restricting what news agencies can publish? They do that in other countries when they want to control what information the general population can receive. I think anyone reading a news article from whatever source needs to look at it with a critical eye anyway and get the information from multiple sources so you can better understand what exactly is going on. It's not that hard to do these days and the news has always been biased or sensationalized, whether it's put out by a news agency or a release from the government. They want you to support them so they give you their "truth". We need our free press with full access to the government.

Pat G

The front page headline of the NY Daily News today says "Freedom FROM the Press" with the OF crossed out. Free press is a necessity in this land of the free, but these days, I think many would agree, even much of mainstream journalism seems to have lost the meaning of objectivity! This was a fab article, thanks so much, Doc!